Method for supplying and cleaning gas by electrical action



METHOD FOR SUPPLYING. AND CLEANING GAS BY ELECTRICAL ACTION Filed Jan22, 1932 l/f 4 a o l I I i I 5 l r a INVENTOR l M #a/fl 5, Wm M PatentedNov. 13, 1934' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD FOR SUPPLYING ANDCLEANING GAS BY ELECTRICAL ACTION Application January 22, 1932, SerialNo. 588,191 InGermany January 19, 193-1 1Claim.

I This invention relates to a method for providing a' supply of cleangas and for electrically cleaning the gas so supplied, and isparticularly applicable for the purpose of providing a continual supplyof clean air in closed rooms or the like.

In hitherto known methods and apparatus for electric gas cleaning, thegas to be cleaned is usually made to pass through the discharge field bymeans of a fan or of an otherwise artificially produced draft.

In the following I will now show how in many cases the gas current to becleaned can, in a rected in this same direction, and results in creating convection currents in the surrounding air or gaseous medium,commonly referred to as electric wind, in said direction, which drivesthe gases to be cleaned in the desired direction through the cleaningapparatus. With an arrangement of that kind, gas velocities of over 1meter per second can be obtained in the gas cleaning apparatus, withoutany other means being necessary to increase the draught. .The flow ofgas is greatly accelerated, if the discharge electrodes are made toconsist of rods or the like and provided with points (pointed parts)directed approximately in the direction of the gas current.

In some cases the flow of gas can be still more increased by placingpervious opposing electrode means, such as wide-meshed wire nettings ata suitable distance beyond the discharging parts of the dischargeelectrodes, and maintaining a suitable potential diiierence between saiddischarging parts and said opposing electrode means. These perviouselectrode means serve as collecting electrodes and allow the gas to passthrough them. This arrangement is particularly advantageous and suitablefor small plants serving for cleaning the air in closed rooms or spaces.Furthermore, the presence of these opposing electrode means serves toincrease the directional efiect of the electric discharge and theresulting electric wind.

In other cases the electric gas-cleaning apparatusmay advantageouslyalso be so constructed as to have plate-shaped collecting electrodesdisposed substantially parallel to the gas stream and, between same,discharge electrodes fitted with discharging points directedapproximately in the direction in which the gas current is desired 'toflow. With this arrangement a high velocity is imparted to the gases andbesides a good cleaning effect is obtained.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated by way of example in thedrawing affixed hereto. Fig., 1 shows a longitudinal section of the gascleaning apparatus and Fig. 2 a cross-sectional view of same.

1 indicates the casing of an electric gas-cleaning apparatus fitted witha plurality of plateshaped collecting electrodes 2, between which atsuitable distances are suspended the discharge electrodes 3. Thedischarge electrodes are fastened at their one endto a support 4 mountedon a lead-in insulator 5. This insulator is shown as extending through apartition separating the adjacent chamber '1 from the electrode chamber.In this adjacent chamber '7 is housed a device for the generation of thehigh-voltage direct current for charging the discharge electrodes. Thisdevice consists of a high-voltage transformer 8,

connected up to the current supply 10 by the wires 9.

The one pole of the secondary winding of the transformer as ,well as thecasing of the apparatus is grounded. The other pole of the secondarywinding is connected to the support 4 of the discharge-electrode systemby means of the conductor 11, which passes through the insulator 5. Inthe ground-connection of the secondary winding is inserted a rectifier,shown in the drawing as an electric valve 12, which rectifies thehighvoltage current in such a manner that the discharge-electrode systemis charged to a high negative potential.

The, casing 1 of the gas-cleaning apparatus is provided with openings 13and 14 in its side walls for the admittance of the gases at one end ofthe electric field, and with a number of openings 15 in the transversewall at the other end of the electric field, for the gases to escapeafter being cleaned. The conveyance of the gases to be cleaned, forexample of room air, through the discharge field is effected by each ofthe discharge electrodes 3 being provided with a large number ofdischarge points (i. e. pointed parts) 16 all so arranged on thedischarge electrodes as to point in the direction of the desired flow ofgas. The supporting bracket 4 is also provided with a number of suchdischarging points. Owing to the particular arrangement of thedischarging points 16, the so-called electric wind produced at thedischarging points blows approximately in the direction in which thegases to be cleaned are to pass through the discharge fields and thusproduces a strong draft which drives the gases to be cleaned through thegas-cleaning apparatus in the desired direction of flow, shown byarrows.

blowing it out after the voltage has been switched off.

I claim as my invention:

The method of providing a supply of substantially clean gas whichcomprises producing an electric discharge in a high potential electricfield between a plurality of discharge electrode elements and opposingcollecting electrode means and thus creating an electric wind by theaction of said electric discharge, said discharge electrode elements andcollecting electrode means being so disposed as to cause the electricwind thusproduced throughout said electric field to have a component inone common direction sufiicient to product a bodyflow of gas throughsaid field in said direction, said electric wind constituting the solemeans for producing fiow of gas through said electric field, and causingelectrical precipitation of suspended particles from said gas on saidcollecting electrode means by the action of said electric discharge andelectric field CARL HAHN.

